Loom harness



Oct. 27, 1964 .1. J. KAUFMANN LOOM HARNESS Filed March 13, 1962 Ilklrl v r, L

IN VENTOR.

JOHN J. KAUFMA NN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,154,108 1.00M HARNESS John J. Kaufmann, Jeukintown, Pa, assignor to Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 13, 1562, Ser. No. 179,256 8 Claims. (Cl. 139-92) This invention relates to loom harness and .more particularly to improved means for supporting the heddle rods intermediate their ends in loom harness frames used in installations in which the entering of the warp is effected by automatic drawing in machines. as is well known, require complete freedom of movement of the heddles on the rods from end to end of the frame.

The present invention relates to supporting means, of the character aforesaid, which is particularly adapted for use in frames of which the top and bottom rails are made from extruded shapes.

Various intermediate supports for the heddle rods have heretofore been proposed and while these have proven satisfactory during the operation of the loom, difficulties may be encountered in assembling the rods into the frames not only because of the lengths of the rods and the Weight of the assembled heddles and rods but also because of the difliculty of obtaining and maintaining alignment of the heddle rod at a plurality of locations-at which intermediate supports are employed.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide means for supporting'the-heddle rods of loom harness frames intermediates their ends which is particularly suited for the quick and easy assembly of heddle rods with a plurality of supports.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device, of the character aforesaid, which is adjustable from the inside for determining the adjustment of the support of the heddle rods.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved supports for heddle rods in heddle frames having preformed hollow interior portions into which a threaded supporting shank is insertable, the shank, after insertion, by its engagement with the interior reducing any tendency to sidewise swinging or wobbling.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved supports for heddle rods intermediate their ends which are adjustable by a readily accessible nut, undesired turning of the nut being prevented by a light spring in engagement therewith.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved adjustable supports for heddle rods in rails of light soft metal and in which provision is made for pre- Such harness frames,

venting undesired wear of the rails by portions of the adjusting structure.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved supports for heddle rods intermediate their ends in which simple but effective adjustable mounting structure is provided without sacrifice of freedom of the heddles on the rods from end to end.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which;

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a loom harness frame with means in accordance with the invention for supporting the heddle rods intermediate their ends;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the details of the heddle rod supporting means;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

3,l5 l,l8 Patented Oct. 27, 1964 ice FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the supporting means, the heddle bar being omitted.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in the particular embodiment of the invention therein shown, the heddle frame proper may be of a conventional type comprising top and bottom rails 10 connected at their ends by end struts 11 and having mounted therein the heddle rods 12 upon which the heddles 13 are slidably mounted. The rails 10 can be of well known type and formed as hollow extrusions of aluminum or other light metal. The rails 10, if made as extrusions, can have inner and outer wall sections 14 and 15, side wall sections 16 and an interior partition wall 17 parallel to the wall sections 14 and 15.

The heddles 13 can be of any desired type, such for example as those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of my prior Patent No. 2,047,511.

The ends of the heddle rods 12 are supported in the heddle frame in any desired manner such, for example, as is shown in my prior Patent No. 2,560,512. With that type of end support, apertures 18 are provided in the end portions of the heddle rods for engagement by rod holding spring members 15 which are secured by pivots 20 to the end struts 11 of the frame.

In the preferred form of the support for the heddle rods 12 intermediate their ends, the heddle rods 12, at each location where a support is desired, have a plate member 25 secured thereto by rivets 26. A spacer member 27 through which the rivets 26 extend is interposed between the heddle rod 12 and the plate member 25 to permit the heddles 13 to move freely along the heddle rods 12 from end to end.

Each plate member 25 has a flange 28 perpendicular to the main portion of the plate member 25 with a threaded stem 29 extending therefrom and a nut 30 is provided on the stem 29.

At each location along the rails 10 where a support is desired, also, the inner wall sections 15 have an elongated opening 35 formed therein. The inner faces of the wall sections 15, contiguous to the openings 35 have brackets 36 secured thereto by screws 37 which are in threaded engagement in the wall sections 15. The brackets 36 each have inwardly offset bifurcated holding portions 38 with elongated openings 39 provided therein between parallel fingers 4t Interposed between the brackets 36 and the wall sections 15, spring plates 41 are provided, also held in position by the screws 37.

The spring plates 41 have elongated openings 42 and can be provided with struck out tongues or projections 43 which engage the nuts 30 and prevent accidental turning thereof or turning attendant upon vibrations encountered in use. The spring plates 41 serve as wear plates and prevent wear by engagement of the relatively hard nuts 30 with the softer material of the rails 10.

In use, the rods 12 with their plates 25- and threaded stems 29 with nuts 30 threaded thereon are brought to positions to insert the ends of the stems 29 into the openings 35. The ends of the stems 29 are first inserted through the openings 42 into the openings 35, and the stems 29 with their nuts 3t) moved to bring the nuts 30 between the bracket holding portions 3% and the spring plates 41. Turning of the nuts 30 permits of the adjustment of the rods 12 with respect to the rails 10.

The spring plates 41 protect the rails 10 from cutting and wear by the nuts 36 during the insertion of the stems 29, during the adjustment thereof, and during shedding and prevent undesired turning of the nuts 30.

The rods 12 prior to or after final adjustment of the nuts 30 can be secured at their ends, as by the rod holding spring members 19. The rods 12 are thus securely held against displacement during use.

The rods 12 can be readily removed by a reversal of the procedure described above for insertion.

I claim:

1. In loom harness including a heddle frame having top and bottom rails'and heddle rods comprising thin flat metallic strips mounted in the frame, the means for supporting said heddle rods intermediate the ends thereof comprising at each location a plate member secured to the heddle rod in spaced relationship, a supporting member extending from said plate member and having an abutment thereon, said rails at each said location having a bifurcated bracket member, said bracket member being secured at one end to the rail and having a portion extending in spaced relation to and along the interior wall of the rail, said last portion having an open ended slot extending along the rail for the reception of said supporting member with said abutment between said last portion and the interior wall of the rail.

2. Loom harness as defined in claim 1 in which a wear member is interposed between said abutment and the contiguous rail along the interior wall of the rail.

3. In loom harness including a heddle frame having top and bottom rails and heddle rods comprising thin flat metallic strips mounted in the frame, the means for supporting said heddle rods intermediate the ends thereof comprising at each support location a plate member secured to the rod in spaced relationship, a supporting member extending from said plate member and having a stem with an abutment thereon, said rails at each said location having an opening in the interior wall thereof, said opening being elongated longitudinally of said rail for the free reception of said stem and for limited movement of said stem longitudinally of said rail, and a bifurcated bracket member carried on said rail at each said location for engagement by said abutment and having extending along the rail an open ended slot aligned with said opening along which said stem is movable for insertion and removal and through which said stem extends.

4. Loom harness as defined in claim 3 in which said stem is threaded and said abutment is a nut in threaded engagement with said stem.

5. Loom harness as defined in claim 3 in which a wear member is interposed between said abutment and the contiguous rail and said wear member has an elongated slot for free insertion of said stem.

. 6. Loom harness as defined in claim 3 in which a wear member is interposed between said abutment and the contiguous rail and said wear member has an elongated open ended slot extending along said opening through which the said stem extends.

7. Loom harness as defined in claim 3 in which a wear member is interposed between said abutment and the contiguous rail, said wear member has an elongated open corresponding ends opposite the open end of said slot to i the rail by common securing means.

8. Loom harness as defined in claim 3 in which said stem is threaded, said abutment is a nut in threaded engagement with said stem, and a bifurcated wear member is interposed between said nut and the contiguous rail and has an elongated open ended slot extending along the rail opening through which the stem extends and along which the stem is movable to position said abutment between said bracket member and said wear member, one of said members having portions engaging said nut and preventing turning thereof on said stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,994,286 Regan Mar. 12, 1935 2,002,548 Regan May 28, 1935 2,707,495 Suchke May 3, 1955 2,905,204 Kaufmann Sept. 22, 1959 2,905,205 Kaufmann Sept. 22, 1959 3,016,925 Graf Jan. 16, 1962 

1. IN LOOM HARNESS INCLUDING A HEDDLE FRAME HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM RAILS AND HEDDLE RODS COMPRISING THIN FLAT METALLIC STRIPS MOUNTED IN THE FRAME, THE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID HEDDLE RODS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF COMPRISING AT EACH LOCATION A PLATE MEMBER SECURED TO THE HEDDLE ROD IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP, A SUPPORTING MEMBER EXTENDING FROM SAID PLATE MEMBER AND HAVING AN ABUTMENT THEREON, SAID RAILS AT EACH SAID LOCATION HAVING A BIFURCATED BRACKET MEMBER, SAID BRACKET MEMBER BEING SECURED AT ONE END TO THE RAIL AND HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING IN SPACED RELATION TO AND ALONG THE INTERIOR WALL OF THE RAIL, SAID LAST PORTION HAVING AN OPEN ENDED SLOT EX- 